The Nation Newspaper

Category: Anambra Election

  • Anambra: INEC reschedules election in 65 polling units

    Anambra: INEC reschedules election in 65 polling units

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rescheduled election in 65 polling units in Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area for Sunday.

    Voting could not hold in the wards due to late arrival of materials and other logistics challenges.

    Electoral Commissioner (REC) Prof Chukwuemeka Onukogu made the announcement in a statement issued in Awka on Saturday.

    The statement, signed by the Public Relations Officer Frank Egbo said the rescheduling was due to “challenges of logistics” in the areas.

    “Any inconveniences are highly regretted,” the statement added.

    Onukogu said the rescheduled election will hold at Obosi Registration Area, Ward 07.

    The election will hold between 8am and 12.30pm.

    INEC urged all parties to get ready for the poll.

    The disenfranchisement of voters marred the election in Idemili North and South Local Government Areas due to lack of voting materials, incomplete voters’ registers, and lack results sheets.

    In centres where over 600 people registered, only about 100 or less  found  their names in the registers.

    Some of the voters were told that additional list containing more names of registered persons would be brought, but none came.

  • Ngige: I’m disappointed by INEC

    Ngige: I’m disappointed by INEC

    All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Anambra State Dr Chris Ngige has expressed disappointment with the conduct of Saturday’s election.

    Ngige said there was a deliberate attempt to dis-enfranchise voters in areas that are his stronghold.

    He spoke with reporters after casting his votes.

    “From reports reaching us, there is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise voters in Idemili North, Idemili South, Awka South, portions of Dunukofia, all aimed at my voting strength centres.

    “Idemili North a lone has 180,000 registered voters. In the last Senatorial election, it was a place that I scored the highest number of votes, more than any other Senatorial candidate

    “Idemili South is also my home base. Part of Aniocha, like Ichida, Adazi-Enu – they have been voting for me. And in all these places, there’s shortage of electoral materials.”

  • Anambra: Obi applauds election

    Anambra State Governor Mr Peter Obi has hailed Saturday’s governorship election in the state describing the exercise as smooth.

    Obi voted at about 1.00 pm at his Agulu Ward 2, Unit 19 in Anaocha Local Government Area of the State and was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Margaret Obi.

    Speaking to journalists after voting,  Obi said he did not come out on time because of the restriction that was announced by the security agencies and the electoral umpire.
    ” As far as I am concerned, in this unit, everything is going on smoothly. There has been no reports of violence here in Agulu, if any anybody has heard or knows , please let me know. But so far, so good”, he said.
    On the restriction order by security forces, Governor Obi said it was in order and that it has helped in stopping possible violence and unfettered movement by people who, ordinarily have nothing to do with the election that was going on.
    ” We have been told before that there would be restriction of movement, that is why I was also restricted so much so that, I did not get here early. I am here now without any escort and I am going back to my Lodge without any escort. So the restriction of movement was for the benefit of all of us”, he said.

  • Two shot for ballot box snatching

    Two people have reportedly been shot in Amaenyi, Awka South Local Government Area while allegedly attempting to snatch ballot boxes.

    Details on the shooting is still sketchy

  • Anambra : Results will not be acceptable without voting in all LGs

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned that it will not accept the results of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra state if voting does not take place in all local governments, especially in the party’s strongholds of Idemili North and South as well as Akwa South.

    In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also condemned Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  for the inability of thousands of voters to exercise their franchise.
    The party demanded the immediate removal of the incompetent and conniving Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra, Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukogu.
    APC said it was totally astonished to learn that INEC has confirmed that materials meant for Idemili North Local  Government, which has 180,000 voters, have been hijacked, without disclosing  who hijacked the ballot papers and why, and without explaining why the materials meant for APGA and PDP strongholds were not hijacked.
    The party said equally astonishing is the fact that the voter’s registers for Idemili South, the direct Local Government of the APC candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige, did not contain the names of voters in the local government, despite the assurances by INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega.

    ”Before the election, political parties were given voter’s registers that largely contained the names of most voters. However, about four days to the election, Prof Jega said at an interactive stakeholders forum that there were problems with the registers, which would be rectified before the election.
    ”However, when the supposedly-corrected registers were brought back, most of the authentic names in them have disappeared, without explanation,” it said.
    APC said it also complained about the fact that the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra, Prof Onukogu, was very partial and unprofessional when he conducted the 2011 election,
    ”In 2011, when Prof. Onukogu conducted the general elections in the state, he was very partial. During the Onitsha South 2 House of Assembly constituency and Idemili South House of Assembly polls, he declared the results of both inconclusive, only for him to announce the results at 12 midnight. After we challenged the results in court and a rerun was ordered, we won both constituencies.

    ”We subsequently petitioned INEC and the Commission assured us that the same person will not be allowed to conduct subsequent election. Alas, he was left in place to do another damage to INEC as an institution through his glaring incompetence and partiality, which have seriously affected the credibility of this governorship election,” the party said.

  • Anambra: Voters disenfranchised

    Many voters  are reportedly being disenfranchised, particularly in areas where the All  Progressive Congress (APC) candidate,  Dr Chris Ngige candidate is strong.
    Voter registers according to election observers are said to be missing in some places and voting materials are also not available to the surprise of even INEC officials.
     ” The disenfranchisement is massive, and it appears to be a strategy by certain interests to influence the election” an observer said.

     

  • APC candidate Ngige votes

    APC candidate Ngige votes

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr. Chris Ngige, has cast his vote.

    He voted at about 1.45pm at the Nkwo Ide Public Square 11, Unit 007, Alor, in Idemili South LGA.

    After voting, Ngige sat among his supporters, answering questions from journalists and foreign observers.

     

     

  • Anambra flood victims stopped from accreditation

    About three thousand voters affected by last year’s flood were stopped from the accreditation process in many centres across Anambra State on Saturday.

    The victims reportedly lost their cards to the flood. Mostly affected are eligible voters in Anambra East and Ogbaru local councils.

    Some of the flood victims who came out for accreditation were not accredited although their names and photographs were found in the voters’ register.

    The disenfranchised voters made the complaints when the traditional ruler of Aguleri, Igwe Christopher Idigo arrived St. Jude Catholic church voting centre for accreditation.

    Disturbed by the complaints, the Igwe with some members of his council immediately sought for a solution.

    They approached the Independent National Electoral Commission officials who referred them to the Supervisory Officer.

    After consulting with the Supervisory officer who gave her name as Chinenye Okonkwo, the party agents at the polling centre were summoned.

    It was agreed between the INEC officials and all the party agents that the affected voters be allowed to vote as long as their names and photographs were in the register.

    As soon as the decision was communicated to the affected voters, they jumped into jubilation, singing praises of the royal father.

     

  • Electoral officers face logistics problems in Ihiala

    Electoral officers in Ihiala Local Government Area have encountered logistics problems caused by the reposting of some ad-hoc staff.

    Some National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who were to work as polling unit officers were said to have been reposted.

    Those who learnt of the changes after arriving at their units had to wait for the new officers to take over.

    Even though they had the materials, they could not begin accreditation of voters immediately.

    This is said to have occasioned further delays in the exercise in most polling centres.

    The Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Afam Obi, who is working as an observer in the poll, confirmed that accreditation started late in some centres due to the reposting.

    “There were logistics problems in some units I visited, though in others centres accreditation started on time.

    “There have been no reports of any crisis from this end so far, except the lapses recorded due to the reposting of ad-hoc staff,” Obi said.

     

     

  • Photo: Governor Obi and his wife arriving for accreditation

    Photo: Governor Obi and his wife arriving for accreditation